Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1887-06-23

walk. scarcely conscious OF the presenc
of the wretchedly poor, 10 "no"
door is to open this long nignt'
In tattered garments the crippled OF
Gan. grinder. the peddler, the beggar an
the Unfortunate stand ready to receiV
the penny which some gentle-hearte'
nassers-hy might press into their opei
palm, while blessings are invokeo upo'
the donor. 1t is but a picture ol loa
life, this glimpse into the crowueo s',ne'
through the binding snow. TINS Ios'nil
of misery with luxury. this mingiing Q
the cries of the unfortunate WIN IN
scornful rebuffs of the more favored
! these mute pleadings OF want WIN 'n'
Q cold indifference Of the thoughtless:
. But the charity which satisnes Hsei
bv the mere giving of aims to the organ
grinder. or beggar, those representative
i. of n large class. is it in harmony VIII
, the advance of our civilization! Does
II agree with Che dignity OF our human
lity? The giver looks ia scorn upon eh'
receiver of his aims, while tne oeggaIi
: his nobler nature degraded by MS act
looks no to to the donor as one superior
TO himself. But if the coin dropped
lcarelesslv into his hand were the re-
suit of honest labor, then 1t wouio Go:he
to the receiver as real blessing n'nisI
tering to a healthful independence ol
character, which would raise MIN aoose
the mere circumstance of birth OF posi-
ton.
What then is true charity, and how
does it differ from alms.giving? Nearly
1000 years ago, the Master said. 1.-THE
poor We have always with you" History
points backward over the past, and es.
tablishes this as the one truth in all
human experience. 1t is as apparent
to day, and needs no prophecy to assure
us that it will be the characteristic OF
the future. And, flowing by its side,
runs that other truth to those who
| would do good by the exercise of real
benevolence-tha true charity "blesseth
him that gives and him that takes, and
that he only "who gives with his right
hand and conceals with his lett. over
comes all"
The great objection to giving aims is
the uncertainty of the worthiness OF the
object upon which they are bestowed.
Drunkards and tramps are certainly an
undesirable class To give aims to the
! first is to encourage the ravages OF the
dread disease. To satisfy the wishes OF
the second is to increase the number OF
those travelling leeches; to offer rewards
to idleness augments the evils OF pau
perism and paves the way for terrible
crimes. True charity, then, is not to
be tound along these lines.
The real secret 10 the solution OF the
question lies in helping all to help them.
selves as far as possible, while organized
benevolence cares for those who are no
longer able to provide for their necessi-
ties. And these are the principles
which are gradually but surely shaping
the generous thought and kindly deeds
of the truly charitable in all the most
advanced nations of the world. In the
large cities institutions are established,
either by private benevolence or the
government, for the purpose of helping
the honest poor. Here the aged find
refuge, and spend their last days In
peace; the sick are cared for in hospit.
ais; the orphan is clothed and fed in
asylums; and to all classes the common
school opens wide its doors, and the
child who is to become the future citi-
zen is there taught to prize and maiE-
tain his honest Independence. The
strong and healthy man is provided with
work and fair wages and admitted to all
honors and enjoyment OF society, II he
will but honor himself. No one
need subject his soul to the
cruel experience of the beggar, or
to learn the truth spoken by
great teacher, who said that ''acts of
begging are wounds and scratches, by
which a man woundeth his own face;
then he who wishes to guard his face
from scratches must not beg, unless in
an affair in which there is no remedy"
To give aims is the sunshine of a mo.
ment covered by the gloom of approach.
ing clouds. True charity shines steadily
and bright, aud by its genial light al
lures the unfortunate to honest self
dependence and proud contentment.
Occasionally, in the history OF our
own times, we have examples of NOBLE
men who have solved the question of
the relations between aims giving and
true charity. Prominent among these
stand the names Of Stephen Girard and
George Peabody, who deserve the admi.
ration and honor bestowed upon their
memory, because they sought the real
elevation of their fellows, and bestowed
not their vast wealth FOR mere ostenta-
tious benevolence, but proved that 1t
was possible to possess riches without
sacrificing to it the treasures of our
higher nature. George Peabody, during
his stay in London, distributed large
sums in various wisely considered plans
for the poor. Before his death 81, $780,
OOO were expended by him in lodging
houses for those who had no homes, or
lived in wretched tenements with no
comforts. And by his will other large
amounts have been applied to the cree
ton of small houses, where, at low
rates, the industrious man may surround
himself with the comforts and safe
guards of home. In the southern
states over 100000 were given by
this noble philanthropist for the educa.
ton of colored children, and smaller
sums were placed where they will be
fountains of real good to the race, and
reflect honor upon his memory forever.
True charity, as opposed to the mere
giving of aims, is sometimes con-
demned as being harsh and
unjust. Bat, though at first sight
the way pointed out by true
charity may seem cruel, the reward is
attained at the end of the road. The
welfare of a nation depends upon the
numoer of its industrious, honest, self
respecting men and women. Consequent
ly, if the population of country is al
lowed by false charity to form habits
of idleness, the nation, losing its energy
and noble pride, will cease to thrive, and
the seeds of Incidence will grow to an
abundant harvest of corruption and
crime.
True charity, then, consists in the
bestowment not of aims to the individ-
ual, but in the establishment of hospitals
and asylums, in the education of the
masses and in making all kinds of honest
labor honorable. and in giving respect te
the man, rather than to his circumstap-
ces. And he is truly benefactor to
humanity who points his unfortunate
| l. he